Operations Manager Chemical Distributor Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Location: Proctor, West Virginia

Position Type: Full-time, On-site

Bonus: Performance-based annual bonus opportunity

Relocation Assistance: Available

Target Start Date: October 15, 2026

Reports To: CEO, Americas

Lead the Startup of a World-Class Chemical Manufacturing Facility

TCL Specialties, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Thirumalai Chemicals Ltd., is seeking an accomplished Site Manager to lead its new, world-scale chemical manufacturing facility in Proctor, West Virginia.

Thirumalai Chemicals is a publicly listed global chemical company headquartered in India, with subsidiaries and operations in Malaysia, the Netherlands, Singapore, and the United States. The company is a leading global producer of maleic anhydride, malic acid, and fumaric acid.

As the Proctor facility approaches completion, the Site Manager will have a unique opportunity to build a high-performing organization, shape the site's culture, establish operational best practices, and lead the successful startup of a major continuous-process manufacturing facility.

The Site Manager's primary initial objective will be to successfully start up the plant and achieve commercial production by the company's established target date.

Position Summary

Reporting to the CEO, Americas, the Site Manager will provide overall leadership for the safe, compliant, reliable, and cost-effective operation of the Proctor facility.

This position will oversee all plant manufacturing activities and lead a multidisciplinary management team representing Operations, Maintenance and Reliability, Environmental Health and Safety, Human Resources, Warehousing, and Purchasing.

The Site Manager will develop the plant team and its capabilities to achieve world-class safety, production, reliability, quality, and cost performance. Working closely with Sales, Marketing, Finance, and global leadership, this individual will balance operational requirements, customer commitments, and the company's strategic and financial goals.

This role is ideal for a seasoned chemical manufacturing leader with extensive operations and maintenance experience, strong process-safety leadership, and a demonstrated ability to lead a continuous-process plant through startup and into stable commercial production.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for all manufacturing activities at the Proctor facility.
• Lead the successful startup of the plant and achieve commercial production by the established target date.
• Establish and maintain a strong culture of safety, environmental stewardship, operational discipline, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local environmental, health, safety, and process-safety requirements, including OSHA, EPA, and Process Safety Management requirements.
• Achieve established daily, weekly, monthly, and annual production objectives.
• Meet plant cost, quality, reliability, and operational-performance targets.
• Develop and implement strategies to maximize plant availability, equipment reliability, asset performance, and production efficiency using recognized global best practices.
• Lead continuous-improvement initiatives focused on safety, environmental performance, quality, productivity, reliability, cost control, and operational efficiency.
• Identify and resolve issues that could affect plant startup, safety, production, product quality, equipment reliability, or customer commitments.
• Build, develop, coach, and retain a high-performing team of managers, supervisors, operators, technicians, and other plant professionals.
• Serve as a visible leadership presence throughout the facility and act as a role model and mentor for managers, supervisors, and employees.
• Establish clear performance expectations and provide ongoing coaching, feedback, and development to members of the plant leadership team.
• Develop and implement training, qualification, professional-development, and succession-planning programs for the plant workforce.
• Ensure products are manufactured and delivered in accordance with customer requirements and commitments made by the Sales team.
• Develop, administer, and monitor the plant's operating and capital budgets.
• Partner with Finance to evaluate plant performance, identify inefficiencies, manage cost drivers, and implement corrective actions.
• Collaborate effectively with Operations, Maintenance, Human Resources, EHS, Warehousing, Purchasing, Sales, Marketing, and Finance.
• Establish performance measures and management systems that support data-driven decision-making.
• Maintain productive relationships with the site landlord, regulatory agencies, government authorities, emergency-response organizations, and other key stakeholders.
• Represent TCL Specialties within the regional community and strengthen the company's reputation as a responsible manufacturer and employer.
• Perform other duties consistent with the scope and responsibilities of the position.

Required Qualifications

• At least 20 years of progressively responsible experience in chemical plant operations and maintenance.
• At least three years of experience as a Site Manager for a continuous-process plant.
• Demonstrated experience leading the safe, reliable, and cost-effective operation of a chemical manufacturing facility.
• Strong knowledge of continuous-process chemical manufacturing, plant operations, maintenance and reliability, process safety, environmental compliance, production planning, and plant cost drivers.
• Demonstrated success achieving safety, production, reliability, quality, and cost objectives.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary plant functions and developing managers, supervisors, operators, technicians, and other plant employees.
• Experience developing and managing plant operating and capital budgets.
• Strong understanding of OSHA Process Safety Management and applicable environmental requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to make effective, risk-informed decisions in a safety-critical manufacturing environment.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, organizational, and decision-making capabilities.
• Excellent leadership, collaboration, interpersonal, and written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering or a related engineering discipline.
• Experience commissioning, starting up, or stabilizing a new chemical manufacturing facility.
• Experience leading a manufacturing facility with approximately 100 or more employees.
• Experience implementing operational-excellence, continuous-improvement, maintenance, or reliability programs.
• Experience with maleic anhydride, malic acid, fumaric acid, or comparable chemical manufacturing processes.
• Advanced knowledge of OSHA Process Safety Management and applicable EPA requirements.
• Experience working with international or globally distributed leadership teams.

Compensation and Benefits

TCL Specialties offers a competitive executive compensation and benefits package, including:

• Base salary of $190,000-$220,000 per year, commensurate with experience and qualifications
• Performance-based annual bonus opportunity
• Relocation assistance
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) plan with company match
• Paid time off

Work Environment and Physical Requirements

This position operates in both an office setting and an active chemical manufacturing environment. The Site Manager must be able to move throughout the facility, access production and maintenance areas, and wear required personal protective equipment.

The position may involve exposure to industrial equipment, chemicals, elevated noise levels, and varying indoor and outdoor conditions. It may also require extended or nontraditional working hours and availability outside the regular schedule to respond to plant operating conditions, startup requirements, emergencies, and other business needs.

Reasonable accommodations may be provided to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

Join TCL Specialties

This is a rare opportunity to lead the startup of a new, world-scale chemical manufacturing facility and have a direct impact on its culture, workforce, operating systems, and long-term success.

If you are a proven continuous-process chemical manufacturing leader with extensive operations and maintenance experience-and you are passionate about safety, operational excellence, workforce development, and building a high-performing organization-we encourage you to apply.

Equal Employment Opportunity

TCL Specialties, LLC is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.